Ahead of Premier League’s First Nations Round, UTS Randwick Sparks Opens head coach Ali Tucker-Munro has reiterated the importance of the annual event.
As a former Aussie Diamonds squad member, Tucker-Munro herself played for the Sydney Sandpipers and Adelaide Ravens during the Commonwealth Bank Trophy.
Back then, Indigenous culture wasn’t celebrated with themed rounds like it is today.
And Tucker-Munro believes they provide an opportunity for people to reflect on the ways they’re personally helping to better the game for First Nations participants.
This year’s Premier League First Nations Round takes place on July 17, right after NAIDOC Week.
The 2024 NAIDOC theme is: Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, loud and proud.
Tucker-Munro explained there are similarities between the netball and First Nations community, that mean they make for a perfect fit.
“The way our game is structured is set apart from other sports,” she said.
“We are a sport that is largely entrenched in what it means to be female and that's a positive.
“In our First Nations community, the women are also our strength.
“So playing netball offers us another way to demonstrate our natural leadership skills.
“Then you think about our tenacity and resilience, which again, resonates with what netball and being in a team sport is all about.”
That being said … It’s not all about the athletes.
Tucker-Munro believes it is a time to shine a light on First Nations volunteers, coaches, umpires and anyone that helps to run the sport too, as they agitate for change behind the scenes.
“There are amazing people in the pathways and at grassroots working hard,” she said.
“They may not be as visible, but they're often doing a lot of heavy lifting and we want to take this time to say thank you for all that they do because they love this great game.”
Last year, Tucker-Munro was appointed as Netball Australia’s First Nations Engagement Lead and she is absolutely thriving in the role.
One of her biggest projects has been the emergence of the Black Swans – Australia’s first Indigenous netball team that made its debut at the Pacific Aus Sports Netball Series.
The side finished top of the ladder in Brisbane after facing international talent like Fiji and Tonga.
They were unable to compete for the trophy however, as they were an invitational team.
Still, this strong performance has given them plenty of confidence in their ability, as they now turn their focus to the Australian Netball Championships happening in August.
Two of the Black Swans players emerged through the Premier League pathway and feature for South Coast Blaze each week: defender Tegan Holland and midcourter Courtney Jones.
Despite her heart bleeding teal for the Sparks, Tucker-Munro has strong relationships with many of the First Nations players across the Premier League.
“I think that sort of speaks back to my way of coaching,” she said.
“I'm always about the athlete first. Like, I don't care where you play, just play, I need you in the sport with me. It doesn't have to be at Sparks, it can be at any club.
“So, I’m always thinking about how we continue to make sure that we bring First Nations athletes into the Premier League.
“Part of that comes back to ensuring they feel culturally safe in our sport – at club, association, Premier League, state, and then hopefully, national level.”
This year, Tucker-Munro recognised there were several young First Nations players trialling for a spot in Premier League. But they were unable to break through, for a range of reasons.
For instance, not understanding what the coaches are looking for and the language they use, or the roles of their playing position and the high-performance behaviours required.
Along with the help of Panthers Opens player Tori Aoake, the pair started a mini First Nations Sparks Academy.
“It’s a space where Indigenous kids that trialled at Sparks or anywhere else can come along, run around with a ball and get advice to try and demystify this pathway,” Tucker-Munro said.
“There are kids that come all the way from Dubbo and Newcastle.
“It’s only a small, intimate group, but it’s about supporting mob.”
Tucker-Munro has been with Sparks since the inaugural season of Premier League in 2016.
She started out as a defensive specialist, then stepped up to be an assistant and is now at the helm of the Opens side.
“I've been very fortunate to be with Sparks since day one,” she said.
“It's just sort of evolved from there, which speaks to the importance of Premier League as a space where coaches, players and umpires can be developed, right?
“It is the perfect place to nurture upcoming coaches.”
Her side may have just missed out on finals this year, but Tucker-Munro acknowledges it’s been a tough season with some solid competition.
Still, she’s extremely proud of their fight and willingness to never give up.
“Look, the competition's a bit like Super Netball in that it can be really tight, and you can’t afford to drop any games,” she said.
“There are times where we've probably not performed as well as we would have liked and put ourselves under unnecessary pressure.
“Our key word we’re still searching for is consistency, once we find that over four quarters and over a season, it will put us in good stead.
“But something we've spoken about a lot is what we want our brand to be at Sparks.
“We want to be that group that really pushes teams to the end and whilst we’ve got lots of talented players, once you take out some of the experienced heads like Danielle Spitty, Ange Fkretic and Megan O’Keefe … We actually have a pretty young team.
“Most of these kids can all play U23s still, so they're at the start of their journey of learning what it means to be competing against Super Netball Reserves players and Super Netball training partners and that’s the beauty of our Premier League competition.
“I’d dare say it's probably the best state league in the country.”
The Sparks Opens have two more games to play in the regular season.
They’ll face the ERNA Hawks in First Nations Round, where they’ll wear dresses adorned with Indigenous art by Tucker-Munro.
Then they’ll play against the South West Mounties Magic in their last match.
Meanwhile, they’re U23s side is currently third and in contention for finals.
Sparks have won the younger division before and are hoping they can do that again this year.
